The invention relates to a safety sign and more particularly, to a collapsible safety sign which readily disassembles for storage and transport.
Typical safety signs include a highly visible sign supported on a base to warn bypassers such as motorists and pedestrians of an emergency, hazard or some other condition which they should be aware of. Such signs are used frequently by a wide variety of users such as construction workers, employees of telephone, power, gas or other utility companies, emergency personnel, survey crews or any other users who need to warn motorists and pedestrians of their presence and potential hazards.
A variety of safety signs have been designed although many of these safety signs are heavy and difficult to set up or transport, particularly if such signs require tools and the like to set up and take down the sign. If the safety sign is being used for an extended period in a stationary location, problems created by these disadvantages may be overlooked. However, many of the aforementioned users do not use the safety sign for long periods in a single location but instead, move from location to location during a single day such that the safety sign is used only temporarily and is assembled, disassembled and transported relatively frequently. In such instances, heavy, bulky signs are inconvenient to set up and transport and thus, frequent users may simply not use the sign due to its inconvenience which ultimately increases risk, not only for the user but motorists and pedestrians as well.
In this regard, additional safety signs have been provided which are more convenient to transport and use. For example, collapsible signs have been provided wherein the sign itself is formed of a fabric material. The fabric is lightweight and permits usage of a framework which may be broken down and transported more easily. However, a number of such signs use a framework which is relatively complex in its structure and assembly such that these signs may still be inconvenient to use and thus, may not be used due to such inconvenience.
Examples of collapsible safety signs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,200,786, 4,019,271, 4,309,836, 4,592,158, 4,980,984, 5,152,091 and 5,318,258.
The inventive safety sign disclosed herein is an improved safety sign which overcomes a number of the disadvantages associated with known safety signs. The safety sign of the invention includes a collapsible tripod base which removably stores a hollow tube therein. The hollow tube serves the dual function of storing a fabric sign therein while serving as a mast to support the sign during use.
The sign is formed from a foldable fabric material which preferably is formed as a rectangle and includes pockets at the upper, left and right corners to receive support rods therein. The fabric sign is supported on the base by a vertical support rod which projects upwardly from the central tube. The upper end of the support rod is received in the upper pocket of the sign to vertically support the safety sign.
To support the sign laterally, two horizontal support rods or cross rods are joined together to define a cross member or cross bar wherein the opposite ends of the joined cross rods are received in the left and right pockets of the sign to provide shape to the sign. The horizontal cross member is not connected to the base structure and is permitted to move or twist independently relative to the base and the central tube. This free-floating arrangement facilitates assembly of the sign while also permitting the sign to twist during windy conditions and allow the wind to spill around the sign in order to prevent the sign from toppling over. Shock cords are provided to limit the extent of twisting while the sign itself serves to urge the sign to its normal front-facing neutral position or in other words, to return the sign to its neutral position after twisting.
The lowermost corner of the sign is fixed to the base by any suitable connection means, preferably velcro straps which connect to the base. The sign is readily assembled by merely securing the vertical support rod on the central tube, joining the cross rods together and securing the velcro strap to the base. When disassembled, the rods may be bundled next to each other in parallel which permits the sign to be rolled up about the support rods. Since the central tube is hollow and includes a removable cap, the entire fabric sign and support rods can be inserted into the hollow tube for storage and transport.
This sign construction allows for ready assembly and disassembly while also permitting it to be collapsed into a compact readily transportable arrangement. By reducing the complexities associated with assembly, disassembly and transport, a lighter weight sign is provided which is more convenient for use which thereby increases the likelihood that users will use the sign even if frequent stops or movements are required.
Other objects and purposes of the invention, and variations thereof, will be apparent upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.